It was a sunny and calm day in the Kanto Region of Japan. Many people clutter the streets even in the middle of the week, people going about their day going or coming from place to place, this being evident since Kanto is indeed one of the most heavily populated areas in Japan. But within the crowd there was one that stood out from the rest. A young boy who looked like he was 14 was walking on the sidewalk with a piece of paper in his hand. He was short, about 5'2 with long spiky blonde unruly hair that went to his shoulders and a pair of very unusual eyes. His right eye was deep red while the left was dark blue. He had a light tan on his skin and a thin layer of dirt and grime too. He also wore ratty and worn out clothing. It was a simple blue shirt but looked bleached in color and brown pants that looked like the shirt. And his shoes weren't in the best condition either. They were dirty white sneakers that had a hole on the back on the left shoe and the souls were coming off. This young boy also carried a large satchel bag with him.
Now he normally doesn't like to walk in the open on the main stream sidewalks or with heavy populated areas in general. He knew people would stare at his odd looks and clothing, despite the fact that many youths in this nation wear more outrageous clothes and looks than he does. He doesn't blame them but it makes him feel… like an outsider. But he doesn't really have much of a choice. And that piece of paper was the reason. He needed to deliver a few items to a person and that person is in a very populated area that he normally stays away from. He followed the directions on the paper till he was in front of a dime a dozen fast food joint. He took a deep breath and walked in.
As he walked in he saw that not many people were in. He was grateful for that. He never did like to be in a place with many people in it. He looked around till he found the person in a white shirt with a black biker's jacket and blue jeans. His hair was slicked back and wore a pair of sunglasses. If he had to guess the man was most likely in his late twenties. The young boy slowly walked up to him. The man notices him coming.
"You made it in time. Good, I didn't want to hunt your sorry ass down and beat the living shit out of you." He said to him with a sneer tune.
The boy swallowed a lump in his throat. He never likes to deal with people like him, but the offer was too good for him to refuse.
"Haru is glad to hear that." The boy now known as Haru said in a low voice.
"Enough talk, I need to be somewhere soon, you fixed them?" He asked nastily.
"Haru did, here." Haru slowly pulled out a very expensive looking watch and phone.
The man snatched it out from his hand and looked them over. After a few minutes, he saw nothing that would make him kill Haru.
"Well kid, I hate to say this but you did a fucking good job… for a freaky looking retarded homeless kid."
Haru was hurt by the man's comment but he didn't let it show and just made a small smile.
"Thank you for your kind words. Haru is happy that you like Haru's work." He bowed.
"Yeah whatever, here's your money kid. And remember, I never met you in my life." The man throws Haru a large roll of cash and leaves.
Haru looked at the cash and sighed. The man was a jerk but at least he made do on his promise. He hated doing business with people like him but he didn't have much and he needed money. He tucks the money away and leaves the fast food place.
Haru made a quick dash into the alley ways to stay out of sight. He made turns and twisted till he knew he was away from the crowds. He sits down on the ground and thinks about today thus far. Haru was upset by the man's words, even though it was partly true. Haru was indeed homeless. He has no family and never did as far back as his memory would let him. And he may speak in third person but he wasn't dumb, slow and a bit clumsy yes, but not a full blown retard. He felt out of place in areas like the fast food place and large populated areas. It made him felt like he was a deformed creature.
Haru heard a loud growl coming from his stomach. He hadn't had a good meal for almost a week now. That was another reason he needed the cash. Haru got up and headed for some vending machines with sandwiches and drinks. He bought six sandwiches and a couple cans of soda. He found a quiet place on a bench that not many people use. It was one of his favorite places to go to just relax and not worry about people. He took one of the sandwiches and started eating it and began to think about the usual stuff, like where he could sleep for the night. He didn't get far as he heard a low groan a few yards away from him.
He turned his sights on a girl with a purple sun dress with green eyes and strawberry blonde hair tied up by two pigtails with sandals. She carried two bags with her and looked like she walked for days on a dirt path. She looked tired as well. Haru was confused; he wondered why a girl, a very beautiful and attractive one at that, would be doing here? This place is not known to many and was away from the public eye. If he had to guess, she was not from around here. A pit of a shot in the dark he knows but she just seems to give off this present of being from out of town. Haru looked at her for a few moments and turned his gaze back to the ground. It was odd, he doesn't know why, but he feels an immense pulse of power coming from her.
That was one of a list of things he seems to be able to do. He can sense how powerful a single person is and at times knows if they are more than they seem to be. He can't explain how he can do that or the other stuff he can do, he just does. In fact, he doesn't even know how he got these powers, skills, abilities, or whatever they are, they were just there and he can use them. Haru let out a sigh; he knew he was different, from his looks all the way to his "unique" abilities.
"Why can't Haru be like everyone else? Normal, have a good life… has someone to love? Why does Haru have to be so… different? Haru feels like Haru is a freak." Haru thought sadly.
Haru also hated the fact that he couldn't speak properly, not even in his own thoughts. Haru looked back up and saw the girl from a few yards away was now a few feet away from him. Haru jumped back at her sudden appearance and how close she was to him. He was frightened that she might do something to him, he can't fight at all and if this girl was to pick a fight with him he would lose badly. As he looked at her with fear he saw that she wasn't really looking at him, her gaze was somewhere else. He followed her sight and landed on one of his sandwiches. He looked back and sees that she was looking very intensely at the food with a bit of drool coming from her mouth. Haru swallowed a lump in his throat and decided to ask her.
"C…can Haru h-h-help you?" He said with a low stutter voice.
"That looks so good." She said.
"Huh?"
She pointed at his sandwich. At that moment a low growl came from her stomach. Haru now understood why she was staring at him or more to the point his food.
"Would… would a strange girl like some of… Haru's food?"
Now mind you he was hungry too but he wouldn't just ignore another person who was hungry and by the look of her, she doesn't have much, not even a cent in her pocket… if she did have pockets that is. He was too kind hearted.
"Really?" she said with a beam in her eyes.
Haru nodded. She gave a loud yay that startled him a bit. She hops next to him and takes one of his sandwiches, opens it up and takes a big bite. In seconds, she scarfs the whole thing down. She took another one and a soda and did the same. Haru just looked at her with amazement, he never seen anyone let alone a girl eat so fast and with such hunger. He thought he was hungry…ok he was and he better start eating before he loses his whole meal. He took another sandwich and eats with her.
"Ah, that hit the spot. Thanks for the quick snack." The girl said, smiling at him.
Haru blushed but didn't say anything. This was the first time he ever ate with anyone and with a girl no less.
"You're welcome."
"By the way, I'm Hakufu Sonsaku. What's yours?" The girl known as Hakufu asked.
"Haru." He said though he thought that she would pick that up since he said it like three times.
"Nice to meet you Haru-san and thanks for the food, I was really hungry. I hadn't eat'n since I left home."
"Haru wanted to ask, is Hakufu new around here?"
"Kinda of a dead giveaway huh?" she laughed nervously.
"A little." He laughed softly.
"Well yes, I moved to this area because my mom said it was time that I leave my home for Kanto and do something."
"May Haru ask what this something is?"
"Huh… actually, I forgot. It had something to do with fulfilling something but I didn't really pay attention." She laughed while scratching her head.
"Haru sees…maybe whatever Hakufu was supposed to do will come back."
"It was probably nothing really important, anyway, I heard there were many strong fighters around here, is it true?" She asked him.
Haru was taken aback by this. Through all of Kanto, there has been a massive amount of fights, some sort of turf-war if he understands it. The fights revolve around the seven schools in Kanto and a few gangs as well. Haru had seen some of the fights here and there and they were bloody, hardcore, unforgivable, and people have died in them. He was caught in a few of those fights but thanks to his unique abilities, he was able to get out of those fights alive, with cuts and a few broken bones at times but still breathing. He couldn't understand why Hakufu would want to know if the fighters here were strong… unless…
"Why would Hakufu want to know that?" he asked though he had a sneaky suspicion to what her answer might be.
Hakufu smiled and took out a black string from under her dress and on it was a green earring, a magatama if he remembers what it was called correctly. Haru saw those before, mainly on fighter's ears.
"Hakufu… is one of those fighters… isn't she?"
"Yep. I've been trained to fight since I was little Haru-san and I'm always up for a good fight. And I love to go against stronger opponents than me." She said grinning.
"Since Hakufu was little? Isn't that a little… much?"
"What do you mean?"
"Fighting only leads to bad things, Haru has seen too many of those in Haru's lifetime. Fighters here are not good people; at least most of them are bad. They don't fight fair or use honor, and among all else, there's a very corrupt person here that is very dangerous. Haru has seen him fight… and Haru never seen so much blood in Haru's life." He shuddered at the memory.
Hakufu looked at him with concern, he was shaken pretty badly. She notices that he was clutching his heart like it was in pain.
"What's wrong Haru-san, why are you shaking so much?" She asked softly.
"… Haru met him once… and tried to kill Haru."
"What! Why?"
"Cause Haru's… so different." He said in a whisper.
"Different?"
"Hakufu must have noticed that Haru speaks weirdly."
"I was going to ask why do you speak with your name so much?"
"Haru doesn't know. Haru has been speaking like this for as long as Haru can remember. Haru thinks that maybe Haru is… broken." He said sadly.
Haru looked away from Hakufu with a sad look in his eyes. He knew that he might be a broken person because of not only his speech, but also of his abilities. They scare him so much that he hides, or at least tries, from all human contact. His abilities, the people, just everything scares him. He can't help it. And he also doesn't know why he is telling this to her, he just met her and yet he is spilling out his faults to her. Something within him is saying he can trust her. Even though he had a bad string of trusting people in the past
"Hakufu thinks that Haru is a freak now huh?" he asked.
"No way!"
Haru looked at her with a surprised face.
"What?"
"Haru-san is not a freak, yes you speak funny and kinda look funny, but that doesn't mean you're a freak or broken. Haru is a very kind person."
"How… can Hakufu tell?"
"Cause you gave me, a complete stranger some of your food and drink out of the kindness of your heart. That tells me you're a good person, not a freak, and to that asshole that hurt you, I'll find him and crush his ass to the ground." Hakufu said pumping her fist in the air.
Haru just stared at her like she has given him a priceless gift. No one has ever said those kinds of things to him; people generally stay away from him because of his looks. But Hakufu, a person he just met, has said he was not a freak or broken, but why?
"Why…why would Hakufu care so much for Haru?"
"Cause you're my friend Haru-san."
"F-f-friend?" He spoke like he couldn't believe the words she said.
"Yep, you and I are now friends." She smiled.
Haru could not believe what she just said. Hakufu just floored him again and said there were friends, something he always wanted. He couldn't help but let out a few sniffles. Hakufu was getting concern that she might have said something wrong.
"Haru-san, what's the matter? Did I say something bad?"
"No… Hakufu said something that… that Haru always wanted… to have a friend. No one wanted to be Haru friend before." He said in between sniffles.
Haru felt a hand on his. He looked up to see Hakufu giving him a warm and kind smile. His heart flutter at her smile, he also can feel how soft and warm her hand was, contrast to his rough and beaten hand. Haru smiled back nervously.
"Haru-san, I promise that you and I are going to be friends forever. And I'll protect you, you have my word." She said with a kind smile.
"T… thank you Hakufu." He said in a low voice.
"Anytime Haru-san."